


The Five Stages of Grief

by IrelandinIrish



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Five Stages of Grief, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Little Sisters, Sister-Sister Relationship, Spoilers, Team as Family, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21824983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrelandinIrish/pseuds/IrelandinIrish
Summary: Spoilers for season three of Marvel Runaways!Description inside
Relationships: Chase Stein/Gertrude Yorkes, Karolina Dean/Nico Minoru, Molly Hayes | Molly Hernandez & Chase Stein, Molly Hayes | Molly Hernandez & Gertrude Yorkes
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	1. Denial

**Author's Note:**

> Gert is gone and now Chase and Molly need to work out how to put their lives back together with the help of the rest of their newfound family.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase and Molly just want to pretend...to forget that they've lost her. Just for a little while

The hostel was quiet, it had been that way for days - ever since...Gert.

Karolina settled on the stairs, drawing her knees to her chest as she found her gaze fixed to what was left of the bloodstain on the hall floor. She'd come down in the night a couple times and found Molly on her hands and knees, eyes glowing yellow as she scrubbed at the mark with everything she had. The blonde never wanted to interrupt, the church might have been a lie but it did teach her that grief does funny things to a person. Besides, each morning the youngster would act like it never happened, just got on with the day and tried to ignore the Gert sized void like the rest of them.

"I heard you get up" Nico's voice was a warm comfort in Karolina's ear as the girl settled beside her, placing a hand atop her knee "You alright?"

"I don't even know what that is anymore" she admitted with a shake of her head "I wanna help Molly, Chase too but it's like...like-"

"Like they haven't even acknowledged Gert's gone?"

Both girls looked up to see Alex stood off to the side, forearms resting on the bannister as he watched them sadly.

"It's the first stage of grief you guys" Karolina explained quietly "Denial? You know? They think they can get on with their lives without her but trust me...one day soon they're both gonna lose it in a big way."

"And we have to be there when they do" Nico finished grimly.

* * *

Chase had barely left his room. He kept the door locked and he just sat in there with Lace surrounded by all of Gert's stuff. Sure he came out for meals, but even then he kept talking to a minimum and avoided eye contact at all costs. He couldn't take the looks of pity from the others, and he knew full well if he saw Molly he couldn't take it. 

"I can open it up if you want? Let you go for a run or something?" he placed an uneasy hand on Lace who let out a soft whine but didn't try to move and so Chase looked away from the door and closed his eyes. "I miss her too girl."

An eerie silence followed, slowly eating its way into Chase's brain, his thoughts, until he flung himself out of the chair and began pacing, dipping to grab one of the Fistigons as he went. Alex had the tablet downstairs, and the boy looked reluctantly at the closed doors, grip tightening on the gauntlet as he took several steps closer before glancing over his shoulder to Lace.

"I'll leave it open behind me, I'm just going downstairs to work on these for a while okay?"

He was met with the same low whine of acknowledgement, and with a sigh he slipped from the room, bracing himself for the awkward small-talk.

* * *

Molly was in the kitchen making herself some lunch and since Alex had taken a trip out for food, she had a decent selection for a change.

The girl buttered bread and then smeared it with strawberry jam, buttering another slice and adding chocolate spread before pushing them together till the contents oozed out onto the plate. With a hum of approval, the girl clambered onto the counter to reach the top cupboards, edging along on her knees until she found what she was looking for.

Pickles - Gert's favourite.

Unscrewing the jar, Molly was hit with the familiar stench that so often flooded their childhood kitchen and it took her moment to compose herself as she fished several of the pickles out and dropped them atop the ready-made sandwich before placing the jar back and hopping off the side.

"Gert would go nuts if she knew I was eating her pickles" the youngster smiled to herself, lifting the sandwich to her lips and taking a large, sloppy bite that left jam smeared on her chin.

She heard hurried footsteps on the stairs and slowly backed up to the doorway, just catching sight of Chase as he took off toward the garage. The sight of her sister's boyfriend made an ache in Molly's stomach - but it also felt good to see him, like she was closer to Gert that way. Clumsily shoving the ingredients back into their rightful homes, Molly grabbed her sandwich from its plate and took off after Chase.

* * *

"Need any help?"

Chase looked up with a start at the sound of Molly's voice and the sight of her in the garage doorway made his heart thud a little quicker. Truth is they hadn't spoken, not really, not since Gert...He felt guilty, felt like he should be protecting the girl now her sister was gone but if he was being honest, being around Molly made it hurt more.

"I got it" he said, voice coming out as a rasp "What're you, uh...doing?"

The youngster shrugged, walking further in and pulling herself up onto the bonnet of the Roll's "Mainly experimenting in the kitchen, Alex found some real good chocolate spread in town on his last trip-" she held up the sandwich "Wanna try?"

Chase at least had the courtesy to look over, his forehead creasing at the pure mess in her hand "Are those...pickles?"

"Oh, yeah, I found them in the cupboard, they remind me of Gert so-"

"Fair enough" he cut her off and turned back to his work, expertly twirling a screwdriver in his fingers "You know I-"

"I know you don't wanna talk about her" Molly said bluntly "At least...not with me, right?"

Chase sighed, dropping the screwdriver in defeat and reluctantly spinning on his stool to face her. "It's not like that Molls, I just...I guess it feels like if I don't talk about it then it's not real you know? Like she's just out for a walk or upstairs taking a nap?"

"I get it" the girl agreed, dropping what was left of her sandwich onto the car beside her and wiping her hands on her jeans "Sometimes when I wake up in the morning I forget, and it's nice, it's really really nice to forget but then it all comes flooding back and it feels like I'm drowning without her here."

Molly could feel her body heaving with ragged breaths as she tried to keep her emotions in check, and having Chase stare at her with those sad eyes wasn't helping. Before she knew it the boy was stood in front of her, his hands resting on her shoulders to try and calm her down.

"Then let's just forget, okay? For a little while we can just stay in here and...forget?"

"Does that mean you'll let me help you work?" the girl asked in a small voice.

"Sure Molls, I'd like that."


	2. Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase and Molly can't help snapping at the others, but the real anger comes when they turn on each other.

It seemed like the littlest things were causing both Chase and Molly to erupt. Gert had been gone for almost a month now and the pair had moved onto stage two of their grief - straight up rage.

Alex was the first to fall victim to it when Molly stumbled across him reading the book Gert had been halfway through when she died. He was sat on a beanbag in his study, fully engrossed in the story when he was dragged away by the girl's voice.

"What are you doing?"

"Err...I'm reading? Molly what-"

"No. I mean what're you doing reading _that_ , Gert wasn't finished with it!"

Alex blanched, pushed his glasses further up his nose and slowly placed the book down beside him. "Molly, I'm sorry, okay? I just thought-"

"Well you thought wrong! Did you even keep her bookmark in?" the boy's blank expressions suggested no and that's when Molly really lost it. She launched herself forward, eyes flashing yellow as she lifted him up by the front of his shirt. "You lost her page!"

"Little help here!" Alex yelled out, legs flailing in the inches above the ground as running footsteps approached.

"Holy shit" Nico observed, arriving first with Karolina and Chase close behind "Molly? Molly out him down what're you doing?"

The youngster wasn't listening, her fist tightening in the material of the shirt as she held Alex aloft.

"Hey? Molly, it's okay, whatever's going on it's okay-" Karolina tried the soothing tactic, her voice low and gentle as she tried to get the girl to look at her.

"Wilder what did you do to her?" Chase demanded, stepping forward but making no move to release him.

"Me? All I did was read a goddamn book!"

The others exchanged looks and Karolina swooped down and retrieved the copy that was forgotten on the floor. She turned it over in her hands "This?"

"Gert was reading it...before..." Chase' jaw set and he slowly held Molly's forearm "Let him go Molls, it's okay" he said softly.

She dropped Alex back onto the beanbag before turning and running from the room, a sob echoing in her wake.

* * *

It took longer for Chase to lose it, but when he did, he lost it bad. Coming in from a walk in the forest with Lace, he found Nico in the kitchen wearing Gert's jacket, whistling as she shoved dishes in the sink.

"Gert-" Chase couldn't stop her name leaving his lips and the sound was enough to startle Nico, who turned with a sheepish look on her face.

"I thought you were out" she sighed "Did you-"

"That's Gert's jacket" Chase spoke almost robotically, his eyes narrowing as he took in the familiarity of its detailing, right down to the slogan embroidered on the back "Where did you get that?"

Nico bowed her head "It was lying on the bed, I walked past and saw it and just thought-"

"Thought what?" Chase ground out, eyes flashing as if daring her to justify it all.

"I thought wearing it would make me feel closer to her...would make _all of us_ feel closer to her-"

"Take it off"

"What? Chase-"

"Take it off now!"

Nico folded her arms "No. It's just a jacket Chase and I'm gonna damn well wear it!"

The boy stepped forward but she held her ground despite his fists now being clenched at his sides "Take. It. Off before I rip it off Nico"

"Well then you'd have ruined it, is that what you want? Huh?"

With that, Chase lunged for the girl and shoved her against the table as he attempted to yank the jacket off her sleeve by sleeve. It was Alex who stopped him, running full force at Chase and knocking him into the opposite wall where he fell with a thud.

The two were prepared for him to strike again, but instead he slid down to the floor and buried his face in his hands to stifle the sob that built in his throat.

"You alright?" Alex checked, placing a hand on Nico's back as she massaged her shoulder.

"Fine" she brushed him off with a sigh and moved to crouch before the boy "Hey? Chase? Look at me"

Slowly, he raised his head, red rimmed eyes filled with guilt but lips that couldn't process an apology yet. She seemed to understand though, offering him a small nod and simply taking a seat beside him, her head resting comfortingly on his shoulder.

* * *

Karolina thought she was dreaming at first, raised voices that made her toss and turn until finally she realised they were coming from inside the hostel. Instantly that spike of fear and adrenaline roused her and she placed a cautious hand on Nico's wrist - who in turn stirred, gave a groan and rolled over.

The blonde sighed, easing herself out of bed to follow the noise and once she opened the bedroom door, it instantly got louder.

"You can't stop me!"

"I said not tonight Molly!"

"And _I said_ move out of my way!"

"Get out of our room!"

"Or what? You'll throw me out? You think you can take me Chase?"

With the threat of violence, Karolina moved quicker, rushing down the hall to where Molly was stood outside Chase and Gert's old room with her arms rigid by her sides. "Hey, guys what the hell is all the noise?" she demanded, cringing as she realised how much of a mom she sounded.

"I wanna sleep in there, it makes me feel like she's still here-"

"That's bullshit Molly because she isn't still here is she? Now just leave!"

"Leave the room or leave the hostel? Because let's be real Chase you don't want me here now do you?"

"Well if you're offering then yeah, you know where the door is!"

Karolina rounded on the boy, mouth open "Chase!" she breathed "You don't mean that c'mon."

"Leave it Karo" Molly spoke again, this time her voice low "I'm going, he gets what he wants" she turned and headed for the stairs as Chase took enough steps after her to bellow down.

"You think this shit is what I want? You think I want to live here without her?"

Molly paused in the hallway and looked up "Well now you can live here without me too" taking a breath she headed for the front door, slamming it shut as she left.

* * *

It was freezing and Molly's tears clung to her cheeks like drops of ice as she stumbled up on the cliffside. She hated him, she hated all of them, she just wanted Gert back. The girl threw back her head and screamed, a guttural roar that was swept away in the noise of the wind and left her gasping for breath.

The edge of the cliff suddenly looked a lot more inviting, and Molly stepped closer, sending a torrent of rocks sliding down into the abyss. She kicked out experimentally and watched the stones fall as far as her eyes would allow in the dark. "I wish I could disappear like you" she hissed, picking one up and squeezing it tightly in her palm before launching it over the edge with a grunt.

The force made her stumble forward slightly and she gave an involuntary scream as she felt her feet slide on the rubble. Her body propelled itself and the girl felt sure she was about to plummet after the rocks when a pair of strong arms gripped her around the middle to hold her steady.

"I've got you Molls, I've got you."

Chase was breathless, like he'd been running to get to her but that didn't matter. As soon as she felt safe, Molly wrenched herself away from him and shoved him back, willing herself not to cry anymore.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I guess I thought you'd storm off and come back...but you didn't so-"

"So what? You came to bring me my stuff?"

Chase shook his head "Molls, I'm sorry, okay? I really messed up tonight and I get that-"

"You know...my real parents are dead, Dale and Stacey are evil and I lost Gert too...my biggest fear was that with them all gone, both my families? That nobody would want me around anymore. You proved me right Chase."

"No!" he stepped forward and grabbed her wrists "Molly that's bullshit because I _do_ want you around, I _need you_ around!"

She looked up at him through blurry eyes "But you said-"

"I know what I said, I was an asshole okay? I lost Gert and I'm not about to lose you too. Besides we both know she'd kick my ass if I let anything happen to you."

Molly giggled through her tears, wiping the back of her hand over her face which only succeeded in smearing it with dirt and reminding Chase of just how young she was. He held out a hand to her, offering a smile.

"Wanna go home kiddo?"

She looked at him for a moment before nodding with a sniffle as she took his hand.

"I really do."


End file.
